Guests:Simon Rosenberg & Jonathan Schanzer
"If you've been watching us over the past few weeks, you know that we have established beyond a reasonable doubt that most intelligence and military experts believe that the threat from Muslim fanatics is growing, and that the Obama administration does not have an effective strategy to deal with the situation. The ISIS terror killers control thousands of square miles in Syria and Iraq, have now expanded to Libya and Egypt, and their assassins freely travel all over the world. It's just a matter of time until they show up here. To be fair, no president can protect this country with a 100% certainty. But for nearly a year President Obama has dithered and evaded the growing threat from ISIS. Now, after executing four Americans and setting a Jordanian pilot on fire, critical mass has been reached. That kind of personal violence puts pressure on Mr. Obama to do something. A new Fox Poll demonstrates that pressure: When asked, 'Does the Obama administration have a clear strategy for defeating ISIS?', just 19% of registered voters say yes, while an astounding 73% say no. However, when asked, 'Do you approve or disapprove of president Obama's policy on terrorism?' 42% actually approve. That makes no sense, but there are a number of Americans who will not say anything negative about President Obama himself. So when his name appears in a poll question, the results are skewed. Most folks understand that Islamic terrorism is not being dealt with aggressively. They know the president is hesitant to even define the threat. Yet they retain an emotional bond with Barack Obama. So that's what you're seeing there. Finally, Talking Points believes that President Obama is gambling with his entire legacy. If the USA sustains another terror attack by Muslims, his entire presidential profile will be ruined. Does Barack Obama know that? I'm not sure."

The Factor invited reaction from Simon Rosenberg, head of a left-leaning think tank. "I don't think the president dithered," Rosenberg protested, "and now he's going to do even more. We are in Iraq with troops and air strikes every day, and now we are going to show the world that we are unified. The president is asking Congress and the Republican party to join him." But conservative author and scholar Jonathan Schanzer accused President Obama of being blinded by anti-war ideology. "The president determined that he was going to get us out of all the old wars and prevent us from getting into new ones. He's ambivalent about the whole thing and he has an overall approach that is reticent. 210,000 people have been killed in Syria and we've seen the rise in ISIS through the under-reaction of President Obama."

Guest:Ed Henry
The Factor asked Fox News White House correspondent Ed Henry to characterize President Obama's approach to Islamic terrorism and its possible effect on his legacy. "He still doesn't get it," Henry declared. "He does not see this as a crisis, he sees it as a problem to be managed. He just said the murder at the kosher market in Paris was a 'random' shooting, but it wasn't a random shooting. This is terror, it's an international crisis." Perhaps striving to be fair and balanced, Henry also pointed out a foreign policy success. "The president should get some credit that the U.S. sanctions against Russia, coupled with the drop in the price of oil, have crippled the Russian economy. Putin has blinked and agreed to a cease-fire."

Guests:Andrea Tantaros & Leslie Marshall
The Factor began a segment on black family disintegration with a brief exposition: "The primary reason the African American is struggling in some areas is because of the family. A new report says that 17% of black youth aged 15 to 17 are growing up with both biological parents, an all-time low. That kind of turbulence makes it difficult for kids to compete with children from stable homes." Conservative Andrea Tantaros and liberal Leslie Marshall opined on that proposition. "I'm not going to disagree with you," Marshall said, "and the reason you don't see the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons talking about this issue is because they don't think the media would cover it. The media and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson consider a cop killing a kid a 'sexier' topic." Tantaros condemned the mainstream media as downright cowardly. "Traditional media don't want to talk about this inconvenient truth, they're not comfortable talking about it. They would have to expose a lot of the policies that have kept the black community down, and there's a fear that if they delve into these issues they'll be called 'racist.' They're lazy and they don't want to do the tough reporting."

Guest:Best of Jon Stewart
In the wake of Jon Stewart's announcement that he is leaving his "The Daily Show" anchor chair, The Factor reprised some highlights from a few of their often-humorous, sometimes-contentious, and always-memorable exchanges. Through the years they debated the sobriety of Stewart's audience, the various "Killing" books, President Obama's competence, the Fox News cafeteria, and the concept of "white privilege," and of course their grudging mutual admiration.

Guest:Bernie Goldberg
The Factor invited Bernie Goldberg to evaluate Monday night's interview with longtime Obama loyalist David Axelrod. "Axelrod came across as an apologist for the president," Goldberg stated, "and as if he's under Barack Obama's spell. I got the impression that if Barack Obama did a 180 on some big social issue, David Axelrod would hurt his back doing a pirouette so he could also do a 180 and stay on the same side." Goldberg also lauded longtime CBS News reporter Bob Simon, who was killed in a car crash this week. "In a week in which we are focusing a lot of attention on a journalist who made things up and yearned for celebrity, Bob Simon was the opposite of that. He was simply a reporter."

Guest:Jesse Watters
Jesse Watters questioned some Los Angeles music fans about the Grammy Awards, particularly the part where the singer Pharrell posed in the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture. Some of their replies: "It's a travesty what's happening with our young black youth and we need to be upset" ... "I think it means for the police to stop shooting our young black people" ... "It was a political play in the middle of the Grammys, I'm not sure it's the right place for that." The mostly black crowd also generally lauded President Obama. "The economy was bad when he went in, the economy is still bad," one man said, while another woman concluded, "I don't know what the world is going to come to after he's out of office."

Dennis Brennan, Clearwater, FL: "Mr. O'Reilly, please explain how the Shaffer/Hunt segment was in any way fair and balanced, as you claim The Factor is."

Ronald Andring, Tieton, WA: "Bill, after listening to your Talking Points about the dishonest media, I stuck my head out the window and shouted, 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!' I'm pleased to report that the cows seem to feel the same way, judging from their response."

Larry Candeub, San Ramon, CA: "Am I the only one who thinks Jon Stewart's leaving Comedy Central sets him up for the NBC job?"

Vladimir Putin is reportedly considering suing Germany for damages done during World War II. So President Obama and the Europeans should remember that they are not facing a rational person when they deal with the Russian leader.